News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : The first batch of 213 Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir was warmly seen off today at the Srinagar Airport by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Mr. Azad flew in from Jammu specifically to see the pilgrims off from here. He was accompanied by Mrs. Shamim Azad. The Chief Minister met the pilgrims individually, exchanged pleasantries and wished them happy and safe journey to the holy land.
Chairman, Legislative Council, G. N. Lone Hanjoora, Minister of State for Power and Health, Peer Muhammad Hussain, Advisor to Chief Minister,. M. A. Ganaie, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal and Director Airport Authority were also present.
The Chief Minister enquired from the pilgrims about the facilities at the Haj House and Srinagar Airport especially in view of the delay in departure of flight due to technical snag.
The pilgrims were all highly appreciative of the arrangements made for them at both the places. They thanked the Chief Minister for his personal interest in ensuring that the departure of pilgrims was comfortable. The female pilgrims whose number for the first flight was 104 were especially vocal in complimenting the Chief Minister for raising an exceptionally beautiful facility in the form of Haj House and making perfect arrangements for the departure of the pilgrims.
The Chief Minister asked the pilgrims to pray in Makkah and Madina for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and return of peace and normalcy in the State.
Later, talking with media persons, the Chief Minister said that there were some cases related to 300 intending Haj pilgrims, 250 of whom were cleared in last 3 days following his meeting with the senior officers. He said, he had told them that now-a-days nobody could guarantee about the conduct of his relative and if a kin of an intending pilgrim was involved in some activity he or she could not be denied permission to perform Haj. He said where a person was himself involved that makes things entirely different. He said in the light of his meeting with the concerned officers, 250 intending pilgrims were cleared, adding that the remaining 50 individuals might have cases against them.
The Chief Minister regretted that a New Delhi newspaper and a local media agency had circulated a story accusing the state government of withholding clearance to 60,000 intending Haj pilgrims. He wondered how this could be true when only 8130 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir were proceeding on the holy pilgrimage this year. He said from the entire country 1.5 lakh pilgrims will perform the Haj this year.
Asked about the delay in the departure of the first Haj flight from Srinagar today, the Chief Minister said that the flight could not arrive here in time due to operational reasons which were beyond the control of the government, both State and Central. He said what was within the control of the state government was to provide the pilgrims best facilities.
The Chief Minister said that the construction of the state-of-the-art Haj House with facilities of custom and immigration clearance was completed in a record time of ten working months only. He said his insistence on having the custom and immigration clearance facilities in the Haj House was vindicated today when the flight was delayed by several hours but pilgrims did not face any inconvenience with loading and off loading of their luggage at the embarking point. He said all formalities were completed at the Haj House from where the pilgrims were transported to the Airport. Their luggage was collected at the Haj House and sent to the Airport for loading in the aircraft. He said that every care was taken to make the pilgrims’ wait at the Airport comfortable.